Henby b



(No Model Q H. B. GREENAW-ALT & J. B. URBAN.

READING DESK OR BOOK HOLDER. No. 376,593. Patented Jan. 17, 1888,.

UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

.HENRY B. GREENAWALT, OF MILLERSVILLE, AND JACOB B. URBAN, OF

CONESTOGA, PENNSYLVANIA.

READING-DESK OR BOOK-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 376,593, dated January 17, 1888.-

Application filed May 6, i857. Serial No. 237,381. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, HENRY B. GREENA- WALT, of Millersville, and JACOB B. URBAN, of Conestoga, in the county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reading- Desks or Book-Holders; and we do hereby declare the followingto be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

-We have invented a new and useful improvement in reading-desks or book-holders. Our invention relates to that class of reading-desks or book-holders in whicha base-column containing a vertical socket is clamped to the seat of a chair, said socket receiving and allowing to turn freely a cylindrical rod in three parts furnished with two knucklejoints admitting of angular adjustment by means of thumb-screws. On the upper end of said rod is allowed to swivel or turn an inverted socket, to the top of which is attached at an angle a suitable tablet or board having along its lower edge a cleat or rim forming a base to prevent the book from slipping off. A suitablybent wire, acted uponby a spring, be-

ing attached to this base, holds the leaves of Figure l is a full side elevation of the de 0 vice clamped to the side of the seat of an ordinary chair. Fig. 2 is a frontelevation, the upper portion of a'front leg of the chair cut away to show the clamp and clampscrew in full. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the up' 5 per knuckle'joints, with portions oftheir respective rods attached and separated, so as to show the recess and projection of the joining faces. Fig. 4 is a plan or face'view of the re- I cessed part of this joint, showing the position 0 of the ribs on the beveled edge of said recess. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the base and desk through the line y y, Fig. 2, with a continuous rod instead of the jointed one. Fig. 6 is an enlarged face view of the upper por tion of the lower knuckle-joint, with a portion of its rod attached, showing the face of the ratchet-teeth, spring-recess, and coil-spring in place. Fig. 7 is a full side view, enlarged, of the lower portion of the lower knuckle-joint, with a portion of the rod attached, showing the ratchet-teeth on the outer edge and the thumb or clamp screw in place; also a vertical section of the upper portion of this joint through the line 2 z, Fig. 6, showing the spring-recess and the coil-spring extended in place. Fig. 8 is an enlarged front view of the desk with book and wire leaf-holder in place and portions of the spring covering removed, showing the spring-recess in the base-cleat with operatingspring in place. Fig. 9 is a portion of a longitudinal vertical section through line m 00, Figs. 8, 1, 2, and 5.

The supporting-base A of our invention is a vertical column, A, of cast-iron, having at its lower end two inwardly-projectinglugs, a, embracing the chair-seat. The lower one, having a boss, at, is tapped to receive the handscrew a, which clamps said base A in position.

Descending vertically nearly the entire depth of the column A is a cylindrical socket, a which receives the lower end of the supporting-rod B, which consists of three portions, 1) b 11 connected by knuckle-joints O and D, having hand or clamp screws 0 and D, respect ively, and will hereinafter be more fully described.

Near the upper end of the column A, Fig. 2, a thumb-screw, a, serves to clamp the rod B in position. A metallic desk-bracket, E, has a cross base, E, formed by flattened lugs e, descending from the middle at an angle of less than ninety degrees, and a tubular center piece, E forming an inverted socket, e, receiving the upper end of the rod B. The desk F has a base-tablet, F, fastened on top of the bracket E by rivets or screws 6 through the lugs e. To the lower edge of the tablet F is attached,-at an angle of ninety degrees, a cleat or rim, F which forms a base and keeps the bookfrom slipping off in this direction. To the outer face of the base F and partially embedded in it, a wire leaf-holder, G, to be hereinafter described, is attached by eyelets f fastened against the ends of the base F and serve as bearings for the leaf-holder G.

The lower knuckle-joint, 0, Figs. 6 and 7, consists of two circular disks, 0 and 0, having their inner faces fiat or level, with an annular recess, 0, in each to receive a coil-spring, H. On the portion of these faces outside the spring-recesses care placed ratchet-teeth c. The disk (3*, having in the middle of its back a boss, 0*, has through its center a plain hole, through which is passed the hand clamp-screw O, and is attached to the upper end of the portion Z) of the rod B. The disk O having in the middle part of its back a boss, 0 has through its center an inside screw to fit the threaded end of the hand clamp-screw O, and is attached to the lower end of the portion 1) of the rod B. The coil-spring H is an ordinary spiral spring. The disks 0 and C spring H, and clamp-screw 0 being in position indicated in Fig. 7, the rod portions 1) and 1) given the desired angle, the disks C and C are brought together and clamped by the screw 0. The ratchet-teeth, fitting into each other, prevent the disks from turning, thus fixing in position the portions b and b of the rod B. Should it be desired to change the angle of the rod portions 1) and b, loosening the clamp-screw G, the spring H will separate the disks, freeing them from the ratchet-teeth, when the portions 1) and b can be turned either way to any desired position and clamped, as before.

The upper knuckle-joint, D, Figs. 3 and 4, consists of two circular disks, D and D provided with concave and convex faces d and d adapted to fit each other and be held by the thumb-screw D. The aforesaid faces d and d are provided with corrugations d, so that when said faces are held together by thumb-screw D said corrugations prevent them from turning, thus holding the portions 1) and b of the rod B in position.

The desk F, Figs. 8 and 9, constructed and attached to the desk-bracket E, as before described, a portion of the outer face of the eleat or desk-base F is scooped out forming an oblong recess, f, semi-cylindrical in form, with its outer ends recessed at f to receive flush with the surface a straight side, 9, of the leaf-holder G, passing through the eyelets f attached to the ends of the base F, as before described. Said leaf-holder G is made of wire rectangular in form. The side 9, above alluded to, forming the base,passes through the eyelets f, extending a short distance beyond them; then, at right angles, turning forward the required distance and curving upward slightly, forming the sides 9; then turning inward at right angles and in line with g, forming the portions at g, the points 9 being a short distance from the center. A spiral spring, I, is coiled around the attached side 9 of the leaf-holder G, having one end fastened to said side 9 at z, and the other end passed through the desk-base F forward,and clinched or otherwise fastened at i. The whole of this recess f, together with the spring I, is then covered, as indicated by dotted lines j, by a metallic covering, J, a portion of which is shown.

Fig. 8 shows an open book,K,on the desk F, with leaves held by the portion 9" of the leaf-holder G, the spring I acting upon the attached side 9 in such a manner as to press the aforesaid portions 9 upon the open book, holding it in position for reading. Should either side of the open book be higher than theother, the portions 9", being flexible,will readily adjust themselves to such elevation or depression. Should the leafholder G not be required, it may be readily swung under the desk, as indicated by dotted lines G, and secured by a suitable catch, L, attached to the under side of the desk-tablet, Fig. 1.

While we prefer to make the supporting-rod B in parts furnished with knuckle-jolnts C and D, as described and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, said rod B, bent at angles at two places, may be entire or of one piece, as shown in Fig. 5.

It will be readily seen, Figs. 1 and 2, that by means of the rod B in portions 12, b, and b, the knuckle-joints G and D, the socketoints a and e, and the thumb-screw a, the desk F may be sloped to any angle elevated or de-' pressed vertically, and turned to any place horizontally and fixed in position at will, to suit the convenience of the person using it, the adjustability of the aforesaid part allowing the device to be used as a music-stand for orchestral purposes as well as reading-desk, while the entire rod will not allow different sloping to the desk.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, in a reading-desk or book-holder, of the following elements: the supporting-base A, having on its lower end two inwardly-projecting lugs, a (1, adapted to engage with and be held in position on a chair, as set forth, its upper part being provided with a socket to receive the lower end of the supporting-rod B, said rod being composed of the several parts I), I)", and I), which are connected by the k nnekle-joints G and D, the upwardly-projecting end of said column being adapted to fit in the vertical socket c, to the top of which is attached the tablet F, having on its lower edge the cleat F said cleat being recessed to receive the leaf-holder G, when constructed and operated as set forth and described.

2. In a reading'desk or book-holder, the combination, with the supporting-base A, rod 13, and tablet F, of the knuckle-joint 0, composed of the following elements: the disks 0' and G integral with the parts I) and b, with their inner faces provided with ratchet-teeth 0, adapted to mesh with each other, also with annular recesses 0, spring H, adapted to fit said recesses, and the thumb-screws 0, adapted to and 0 together, the ratchet-teeth 0" being B, and tablet F, of the leaf-holder G, rectanto keep the holder in position on the book, as

v set forth, and the 11001: L, adapted to keep the meshed, substantially as set forth and deholder firm on the same, as set forth and de- I5 scribed. scribed.

3. In a reading-desk or book-holder, the Intestimonywhereof we have hereunto subcombination, with the supporting-base A, rod scribed our names in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY B. GREENAWVALT. I JACOB B'. URBAN. Witnesses:

THOS. B. COCHRAN, GEO. A. LANE.

compress said spring and hold the disks 0 I gular in form and composed of the following elements: the side 9, and the upwardly-projeeting sides 9 and g, and the inwardly-pro jecting ends g terminating at y the base 9 being surrounded by a coil-spring, I, adapted 

